The 2015 Oceania Zonal Championship was held in Sydney, Australia earlier this month. IM Max Illingworth of Sydney and WIM Emma Guo of Canberra emerged victorious in the Open and Women's Championships respectively. Guo won the 14-player Women's Swiss outright on 7/9, half a point ahead of WIM Nancy Lane of Sydney. Illingworth looked to be even more convincing after starting with seven straight wins. However, in his final game against Brodie McClymont of Brisbane, Illingworth let his advantage slip, succumbing to his opponent’s sustained attack. That resulted in a tie for first on 7½/9 between these two and a two-game rapid play-off for the championship, which Illingworth secured 1½-½. McClymont earned the International Master title for his performance.
Today's game is McClymont – Illingworth from the Open championship, displaying the fighting qualities of both players.
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bf5 5.d3 h6 6.Nbd2 e6 7.Qe1 Bh7 8.e4 Be7 9.Qe2 O-O 10.b3 a5 11.a4 Na6 12.Bb2 Nb4 13.Ne1 Qb8
In the Reti opening, White develops quietly, training his fianchettoed bishops on the centre and awaiting developments. Now he launches a slow attack with his kingside pawns, trusting his fluid position not to present Black with any obvious targets for counterattack. 14.f4 b5 15.Kh1 Re8 16.g4 Nd7 17.axb5 Qxb5 18.Qf3 Bh4!
A provocative move, threatening 19... Bxe1 encouraging the white pawns forward. White is up for the challenge – involving a pawn sacrifice. Black had an alternative plan in 18... Nc5 (threatening to take on e4) 19.Qe3 a4 with play on the queenside. 19.g5!? hxg5 20.fxg5 Bg6 21.c4 Qb8 22.Qh3
The g-pawn can't be defended: 22.Qe3?! (or 22.Qg4?) due to 22... Bxe1 winning material. 22... Bxg5 23.Ndf3 Bf4!
An original idea to block the f-file and long diagonal. 23... Be7 24.Nh4 Bxh4 25.Qxh4 eliminates the dangerous knight but leaves the bishop on b2 unopposed. 24.Nh4 Nf8 25.Qf3 e5 26.Nf5!
Superior to 26.exd5 cxd5 27.cxd5 Qd8 28.Nxg6 Nxg6 which recovers the pawn temporarily but leaves the black pieces dominant. 26... dxe4 27.dxe4 Bxf5 28.exf5 Nh7 29.Qg4 Nf6 30.Qh4 Qd6 31.Rf3 Nh7 32.Rh3 Qh6 33.Qg4!?
White's attack has been rebuffed, but after exchanging queens 33.Qxh6 Bxh6 34.Nd3 Nxd3 35.Rxd3 his active bishops would offer drawing chances a pawn down. Instead he offers a second pawn to keep the position complex in an all-or-nothing attempt to win. 33... Qg5 34.Qe2 Qxf5 35.Rh5 Qe6 36.Nf3 Nf6 37.Rh4 Qf5 38.Bc3 Qd3
The White forces are scattered and uncoordinated – especially the rook on h4, while the black pieces look set to take over the attack. Here and on the next move Black had the chance to remove all risk by 38... Qc2! forcing the exchange of queens 39.Qxc2 Nxc2 and keeping his two pawn plus as 40.Rxa5? Rxa5 41.Bxa5 g5! wins a piece thanks to the trapped rook. 39.Qb2 Qd6 40.Rg1 Nd3 41.Qe2 Rab8 42.Nd2 Bxd2?!
Despite winning a third pawn, after this White is able to coordinate his pieces in attack. Also problematic was winning the exchange 42... Bg5 43.Be4! Bxh4 44.Bxd3 when White pieces are lined up against the king. Perhaps safest was contesting e4 42... Nc5 when 43.Bxa5 Nxb3 44.Nxb3 Rxb3 leaves Blacks defences intact. 43.Qxd2 Rxb3 44.Bf1! Nf2+ 45.Qxf2 Rxc3 46.Qg2 g6 47.Qg5 Kf8 48.Be2! Rc2?
Black errs under the renewed pressure. 48... Ng8 maintained a winning advantage, but with still some hard defensive work to do. White continues to skillfully execute his attack, switching threats between various points until the defence breaks. 49.Rd1! Qe6 50.Rf1! Ke7?!
More resilient was 50... Ng8, when after 51.Bd3 Ra2! 52.Bxg6! Ra1! 53.Rxa1 fxg6 54.Rxa5 Qd6 Black has some drawing chances thanks to the exposed white king. 51.Bg4 Qd6 52.Rd1 Qxd1+?
After the adverse turn of events Black collapses. But 52... Qc7 53.Rd7+ Qxd7 54.Bxd7 Kxd7 55.Qxf6 Re7 with a rook and three pawns for the queen held only swindling chances. 53.Bxd1 Rf2 54.Qxe5+ Kd7 55.Qd4+ Resigns
Illingworth and Guo Oceania Zone Champions
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The 2015 Oceania Zonal Championship was held in Sydney, Australia earlier this month. IM Max Illingworth of Sydney and WIM Emma Guo of Canberra emerged victorious in the Open and Women's Championships respectively. Guo won the 14-player Women's Swiss outright on 7/9, half a point ahead of WIM Nancy Lane of Sydney. Illingworth looked to be even more convincing after starting with seven straight wins. However, in his final game against Brodie McClymont of Brisbane, Illingworth let his advantage slip, succumbing to his opponent’s sustained attack. That resulted in a tie for first on 7½/9 between these two and a two-game rapid play-off for the championship, which Illingworth secured 1½-½. McClymont earned the International Master title for his performance.
Today's game is McClymont – Illingworth from the Open championship, displaying the fighting qualities of both players.
1.Nf3 Nf6
2.g3 d5
3.Bg2 c6
4.O-O Bf5
5.d3 h6
6.Nbd2 e6
7.Qe1 Bh7
8.e4 Be7
9.Qe2 O-O
10.b3 a5
11.a4 Na6
12.Bb2 Nb4
13.Ne1 Qb8
In the Reti opening, White develops quietly, training his fianchettoed bishops on the centre and awaiting developments. Now he launches a slow attack with his kingside pawns, trusting his fluid position not to present Black with any obvious targets for counterattack.
14.f4 b5
15.Kh1 Re8
16.g4 Nd7
17.axb5 Qxb5
18.Qf3 Bh4!
A provocative move, threatening 19... Bxe1 encouraging the white pawns forward. White is up for the challenge – involving a pawn sacrifice. Black had an alternative plan in 18... Nc5 (threatening to take on e4) 19.Qe3 a4 with play on the queenside.
19.g5!? hxg5
20.fxg5 Bg6
21.c4 Qb8
22.Qh3
The g-pawn can't be defended: 22.Qe3?! (or 22.Qg4?) due to 22... Bxe1 winning material.
22... Bxg5
23.Ndf3 Bf4!
An original idea to block the f-file and long diagonal. 23... Be7 24.Nh4 Bxh4 25.Qxh4 eliminates the dangerous knight but leaves the bishop on b2 unopposed.
24.Nh4 Nf8
25.Qf3 e5
26.Nf5!
Superior to 26.exd5 cxd5 27.cxd5 Qd8 28.Nxg6 Nxg6 which recovers the pawn temporarily but leaves the black pieces dominant.
26... dxe4
27.dxe4 Bxf5
28.exf5 Nh7
29.Qg4 Nf6
30.Qh4 Qd6
31.Rf3 Nh7
32.Rh3 Qh6
33.Qg4!?
White's attack has been rebuffed, but after exchanging queens 33.Qxh6 Bxh6 34.Nd3 Nxd3 35.Rxd3 his active bishops would offer drawing chances a pawn down. Instead he offers a second pawn to keep the position complex in an all-or-nothing attempt to win.
33... Qg5
34.Qe2 Qxf5
35.Rh5 Qe6
36.Nf3 Nf6
37.Rh4 Qf5
38.Bc3 Qd3
The White forces are scattered and uncoordinated – especially the rook on h4, while the black pieces look set to take over the attack. Here and on the next move Black had the chance to remove all risk by 38... Qc2! forcing the exchange of queens 39.Qxc2 Nxc2 and keeping his two pawn plus as 40.Rxa5? Rxa5 41.Bxa5 g5! wins a piece thanks to the trapped rook.
39.Qb2 Qd6
40.Rg1 Nd3
41.Qe2 Rab8
42.Nd2 Bxd2?!
Despite winning a third pawn, after this White is able to coordinate his pieces in attack. Also problematic was winning the exchange 42... Bg5 43.Be4! Bxh4 44.Bxd3 when White pieces are lined up against the king. Perhaps safest was contesting e4 42... Nc5 when 43.Bxa5 Nxb3 44.Nxb3 Rxb3 leaves Blacks defences intact.
43.Qxd2 Rxb3
44.Bf1! Nf2+
45.Qxf2 Rxc3
46.Qg2 g6
47.Qg5 Kf8
48.Be2! Rc2?
Black errs under the renewed pressure. 48... Ng8 maintained a winning advantage, but with still some hard defensive work to do. White continues to skillfully execute his attack, switching threats between various points until the defence breaks.
49.Rd1! Qe6
50.Rf1! Ke7?!
More resilient was 50... Ng8, when after 51.Bd3 Ra2! 52.Bxg6! Ra1! 53.Rxa1 fxg6 54.Rxa5 Qd6 Black has some drawing chances thanks to the exposed white king.
51.Bg4 Qd6
52.Rd1 Qxd1+?
After the adverse turn of events Black collapses. But 52... Qc7 53.Rd7+ Qxd7 54.Bxd7 Kxd7 55.Qxf6 Re7 with a rook and three pawns for the queen held only swindling chances.
53.Bxd1 Rf2
54.Qxe5+ Kd7
55.Qd4+ Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1... Nxg3+! 2.Nxg3 (2.Kh2 Qh4+ 3.Bh3 Qxh3#) 2... Qh4+ 3.Bh3 Qxh3#